Have Ants in Pants | Behind Closed Doors | Deliver the Goods | Go the Extra Mile | In Two Minds

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

have ants in (one’s) pants

Phrase

hæv ænts ɪn pænts

to be unable to sit still due to feeling impatient, anxious, or restless

Sally had ants in her pants because it was her first appearance on TV.

The young man has ants in his pants because of the interview.

behind closed doors

Phrase

bɪˈhaɪnd kloʊzd dɔrz

in secret or in private; away from the public

The restart of nuclear reactors will be negotiated behind closed doors.

The party was severely criticized for choosing its president behind closed doors.

deliver the goods

Phrase

dɪˈlɪvər ðə gʊdz

to do or provide what is expected

The team's new player failed to deliver the goods.

He looks like a nice guy, but I'm not sure if he can manage to deliver the goods.

go the extra mile

Phrase

goʊ ði ˈɛkstrə maɪl

to put more effort into something than is typically expected

He is always ready to go the extra mile to make sure the job is done well.

When we asked him the way to the restaurant, he went the extra mile and took us there himself.

in two minds

Phrase

ɪn tu maɪndz

unable to make a decision about something

She was in two minds about going abroad.

I am in two minds whether or not to purchase this dress.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your tutor.

	Saya My interview with the board is tomorrow. I have ants in my pants!
	Masa That interview about your project? What exactly are you supposed to do there?
	Saya First, I'm going to present the project to the board. Then, they will discuss it behind closed doors. And in two weeks, they will let me know whether it has been accepted. I am still in two minds if I should go or not.
	Masa Come on! I know you can deliver the goods. I believe in you. And if you want, I can go with you to give you some support before the presentation.
	Saya That would be great! You're always ready to go the extra mile when I need it. Thank you, Masa.
	Masa No problem, that's what friends are for!

Exercise 3

Article

Read the passage aloud with your tutor.

Saya has ants in her pants because she needs to deliver a presentation about her project. The board will discuss her project behind closed doors and will give her the results in two weeks. She's in two minds whether she should go or not. Masa gave her support by saying that she would be able to deliver the goods. Saya thanked him for the support and for being willing to go the extra mile by accompanying her to the interview.

Exercise 4

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the dialogue.

Saya and Masa are talking about Masa's first date with the girl he likes.
	Saya You are going to ask her out, right?
	Masa Yes, but I have (1). I am really shy.
	Saya Come on! You'll be fine, Masa! You talk to her almost every day. You just need to ask the question. And you should (2) and plan something special for your date.
	Masa I already have everything planned in my head. But asking her out... that's my biggest problem. She might reject me. She might think that I am desperate. I'm still (3) about whether I should ask her out at all...
	Saya Come on! I'm sure she'll say yes!
	Masa Are you sure? And what if I fail to (4) and the whole date ends in disaster? What if she gets bored with me? Also, if she says no, everyone will make fun of me.
	Saya Don't think that way, Masa! Everything will be okay. And, you can ask her (5), so no one will know about it.
	Masa Okay. I guess I just need to calm down and do it. Thank you, Saya!